Backpacking 2006 - 2007

We have decided to take a year out & backpack through a few countries. We hope to learn how to scuba, especially as some of the locations are once in a lifetime! When travelling we will book a couple of nights at each location and then wing it. Read more

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Trip start
February 15, 2006
Backpacking 2006 - 2007 Traveler
Lodsworth, England
February 15, 2006 in England ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
We decided to get out of the daily grind and to explore some of the world. We have key destinations as described below, the rest of our travels are open to change!

During our journey we will be visiting the following places:
Phoenix, Arizona
Fiji
New Zealand
Australia
Thailand

From Thailand we hope to travel onwards through the following countries:

Laos
Cambodia
Vietnam
China

Japan (not enough money !)
Tibet (not enough warm clothing !!)
Possibly Nepal (not enough time !!!)

India

These destinations might change depending on our finances, weather, exhaustion, etc – but we will keep you posted of our progress as we hope to update our site every couple of weeks with more pictures and journal entries (you will get an email when there is an update).

There is nothing like home .. lovely Lodsworth, a view across the fields from Mum and Dads house. Leaving for Arizona and that hot, hot sun.Read more
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Backpacking 2006 - 2007 Traveler
Heathrow Airport, England
February 15, 2006 in England ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
first flight to phoenix for a little relaxation before the real travelling !
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Backpacking 2006 - 2007 Traveler
Los Angeles, USA
February 16, 2006 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
LA .... home of the highway and concrete. Landed in LA from Heathrow ... next hop to Phoenix
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Backpacking 2006 - 2007 Traveler
Phoenix, USA
February 17, 2006 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Lovely Phoenix this time of year ... 75f during the day and great cheap equipment for our travels. Travel on South West airlines which takes about 1.5 hours
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Our visit to AZ consisted of the following daily activities:

Denny’s diner
Shopping – REI, Sports Authority (For travel gear)
Taco Bell
More shopping – Target, Wal-Mart (For cheapo travel gear)
Mexican food
Margheritas

If you can imagine the above on a daily basis with variations between restaurants, shops and alcoholic beverages! However, the itinerary usually always included Denny’s.

Of course we exaggerate, our time spent in Arizona was lovely, staying with my family and even squeezing in a visit to Yuma to visit my Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Tammy and family, as well as John.

My little sister Taylor and I had a lovely time cycling to and form school almost on a daily basis. Keep it up Tays – you’re a really good little bike rider!!

Paul and I went to an Irish pub quiz as well, with my sister Nikki – the Guinness tasted like shite but the Corona’s were lovely, as was the company. Good luck for your future quizzes, hopefully you’ll soon win enough to buy a round or two!

It was great to see Mom and Bruce again as well – thanks for trusting us enough to let us borrow the truck on a daily basis – however Paul did do most of the driving – so you got off lucky!

Had a great time getting together for Sarah's bachelorette party and seeing all the girls again. I think it's safe to say we're growing a bit tame in our old age!

It was great to be home for a bit – a perfect place to start our journey. We love and miss you guys already.Read more
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Backpacking 2006 - 2007 Traveler
Yuma, USA
March 3, 2006 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 20 °C
Three hours from Phoenix , interesting drive down with Grandpa, good to find out he was 'packing heat' after the cop had pulled us over !
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Los Angeles Airport, USA
March 16, 2006 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
What a pain ... travelling in and out of the USA has become very frustrating !
Not my photo !
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Backpacking 2006 - 2007 Traveler
Nadi, Fiji
March 18, 2006 in Fiji ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
Landed in Nadi from La. Arrived at 5:30 in the morning so did'nt see a thing. Visited the town of Lautoka right after we landed because we could not check in. Small town with not that much to see ... bus station was a blast

Staying at Saweni Beach Hotel. Lovely place right next to a small beach. Very quite and peaceful .....Read more
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South Sea Island, Fiji
March 28, 2006 in Fiji ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Today we toured the Mamanuca islands which the travel map cannot display ... fist stop was Denarau to get the boat, the best would have to be Mana, looked like another piece of paradise.
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Nananu i Ra, Fiji
March 28, 2006 in Fiji ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Map does not find Nanuna-i-ra but its just above Malake. Took our SSI Open Water dive course on the island ... and passed !
Course took three days on the island which was great fun although we did pick up a little stomach bug.Read more
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Nadi Airport, Fiji
March 30, 2006 in Fiji ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
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Backpacking 2006 - 2007 Traveler
Auckland, New Zealand
April 1, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Only a three hour hop from Fiji to Auckland and out of that humidity. Hostel was 15 min from the city centre.
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Backpacking 2006 - 2007 Traveler
Christchurch Airport, New Zealand
April 4, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Have jumped down to Christchurch on Qantas for NZ$100, looking for a sleeper van to drive back up to the north islands .. its getting cold down here !
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Backpacking 2006 - 2007 Traveler
New Brighton, New Zealand
April 10, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
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Backpacking 2006 - 2007 Traveler
Christchurch, New Zealand
April 16, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
taken from the deck of our backpacker hostel. This is where we picked up our van .... needed a few alterations as the previous users had the bed down low ... thats a big waste of space !
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Lyttleton, New Zealand
April 19, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
This is a picture of Purau Bay which is where we stopped for the night.
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Backpacking 2006 - 2007 Traveler
Akaroa, New Zealand
April 20, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌬 14 °C
a lovely french community .. the drive from Parua was amazing along a narrow gravel road.
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Backpacking 2006 - 2007 Traveler
Timaru, New Zealand
April 21, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 11 °C
found a small 'domain' campsite just outside of Timaru in St Andrews.
and ... it only cost us $3.50 each (so Tiff paid !)
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Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
April 22, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 10 °C
What a great spot this is .... cheap and very peaceful. Stayed for three nights , had several free showers !! but then felt bad and paid up. Had a great 4hr hike up the local mountain which is used for star gazing.Read more
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Backpacking 2006 - 2007 Traveler
Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand
April 25, 2006 in New Zealand
Could'nt see much due to the sh*t weather ...
there are a number of glaciers that surround this area ... a lot of people have died trying to climb them
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Queenstown, New Zealand
April 26, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 10 °C
Drive down to Queenstown from Mt Cook was very wet ... and it has rained ever since. Looks like a lovely place but some sun would help.
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Backpacking 2006 - 2007 Traveler
Te Anau, New Zealand
April 27, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 13 °C
We stayed at Te Anau and took the scenic drive up to Milford Sound on rt 94
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Backpacking 2006 - 2007 Traveler
Manapouri, New Zealand
May 1, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 12 °C
For Tiffs birthday we decided to dump the van !! and visit Kepler Mountains using this Hughes 500 .. which also stopped on the top !!!
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Backpacking 2006 - 2007 Traveler
Haast, New Zealand
May 2, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 10 °C
Went from Te Anau back to Queenstown up to Wanaka then stopped at Haast
this was the best of Haast !! tough to find a shower or toilet so moving on fast .....
Haast was short lived .. so up past a couple of glaciers on rte 6, this is the Fox glacier ... receding towards Mt CookRead more
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Hokitika, New Zealand
May 3, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 10 °C
Not much in Wesport really ... just a couple of pics on the way, the rock formation at Punakaiki, Carters Beach near Westport ... just before our soup and sandwich dinner (as usual ... )
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Backpacking 2006 - 2007 Traveler
Westport, New Zealand
May 5, 2006 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 12 °C
and this was our refuge for the night ... only quiet place around
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